


A brand upon your heart

by Melody_Jade



Category: The Social Network (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, M/M, Post-Canon, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-02 13:52:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8670190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melody_Jade/pseuds/Melody_Jade
Summary: On everyone’s 25th birthday, the name of their soulmate will appear on their chest, right across their heart. Eduardo had looked forward to this, once upon a time, before betrayal and shares dilution and lawsuits had taken away his naivety.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cherryvanilla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryvanilla/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, cherryvanilla! I hope you enjoy this fic.

* * *

_March 19, 2007_

"Happy birthday Eduardo!"

Eduardo stopped at the door, blinking in astonishment at the colorfully decorated office of the Singapore investment firm he worked in, which was decked out in birthday balloons and party streamers. Over at the reception area, bottles of champagne chilled in ice buckets, right next to an enormous chocolate cake with candles.

“You totally didn’t expect this, did you? Your face when you walked in was a picture!” Meiyi, his administrative assistant said, coming forward to give him a big hug which Eduardo, still slightly shocked, returned. He looked around the office at his coworkers who were all wearing huge smiles.

“Thanks guys,” he said, shaking his head ruefully at all the decorations. “This is a huge surprise. You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

“Nonsense,” Joseph, the CEO of their firm, said, giving Eduardo a hand shake. “The 25th birthday is always a special occasion.”

The birthday song was sung, the champagne bottles were opened, and very soon everyone had cake and champagne as Eduardo circulated around the office, thanking each of his coworkers. He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, and when he turned around Meiyi was there again, an excited gleam in her eyes.

“So, the million dollar question!” she exclaimed loudly, pausing for a long, dramatic moment as people whooped and cheered, their attention drawn to Eduardo and her. “Who is it?”

Without even thinking about it, Eduardo's hand drifted to the chest, feeling the steady thumping of his heartbeat and tracing the outline of the name that had branded itself across his chest just hours ago.

"Ooh,” Meiyi cooed. “I know that look, it must be someone you know right?"

Eduardo somehow managed to laugh, shaking his head and trying not to appear as though he was flinching away from Meiyi. “Nah, unfortunately it’s not anyone I know.”

There was a collective sign of disappointment, and he laughed again, hoping nobody heard the slight hysteria in his voice. “You people are the worst bunch of busybodies I’ve ever met.”

“What can I say?” Aliyah, one of the associates, said, shrugging cheekily at him. “Everyone loves a good soulmate story.”

Someone else chimed in. “Yeah, my brother just had his 25th birthday too, and his soulmate turned out to be his best friend and crush, who was also at the party with us. It was so romantic!”

“And these days, it’s so easy to find your soulmate. You can just search Facebook for their name!” Someone else added, and Eduardo froze.

Not many people in Singapore knew of his history with Mark. After that terrible day, Eduardo had gone back to Harvard, kept his head down and graduated, before suing Mark. His lawsuit did make the news, but it was largely over-shadowed by the Winklevoss lawsuit, and eventually, Facebook had settled with Eduardo and he had walked away with stock and money, and his name back on a masthead that no one ever read. Not knowing where to go, except far away from California, he had found himself in Singapore, joining a Singapore investment firm on the recommendation of one of his professors at Harvard. No one ever linked him to Facebook, and he had never volunteered that information.

His gloomy thoughts must have reflected on the expression on his face, because Yongwei, one of the senior associates in the firm, clapped him on the shoulder and said encouragingly, “Don’t worry too much, Eduardo. I only met my soulmate Sarah years after my soulmark appeared. It was tough, having to wait, but it’s always worth it in the end. And this way, you know you have something to look forward to in the future.”

Eduardo nodded at him, forcing a smile. “Yeah, something to look forward to. Meanwhile, who wants more cake?”

After the morning celebration, the usual rush of the work day bled back in, and the day passed by in a blur. The hectic pace of work almost, but not quite, managed to take his mind off the brand over his heart, and he found himself constantly thinking of it.

After work he met some of his friends to celebrate at a club, where he drank shots after shots until he got absolutely hammered.  Stumbling back home way past midnight, he unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it in the direction of the couch before stumbling into the bathroom.

Splashing some water into his face, he looked up into the mirror and froze.

In the harsh fluorescent light of the bathroom, the name that now marked his chest stood out starkly, like a brand upon his heart.

It used to be an event Eduardo looked forward to. As a young boy, he had listened, enraptured, as his mother told him that his soulmark would appear on his 25th birthday, showing with her fingers where the mark would appear. Eduardo used to dream of his 25th birthday, and wondered who the person he would spend the rest of his life with would be. He had imagined various scenarios, wondering if he would have to wait for his soulmate or if he would have already known his soulmate by then.

A few years ago, in Harvard, he had approached a curly-haired freshman to say hello, and was promptly eviscerated and subjected to a rant about the stupidity of orientation events. Eduardo had fallen in love then, and he had thought he knew who his soulmate was. He had looked forward to his 25th birthday, for it to bring the confirmation of what he already knew.

Those days were followed by betrayal and share dilutions and lawsuits, and somewhere in that journey Eduardo had lost his naivety.

He had hoped, with everything in him, that the name tattooed across his heart would be different, would be anyone else. He closed his eyes and opened them again, but it was still the same name he saw this morning.

_Mark Zuckerberg_

His best friend. Someone he had once hoped would be his soulmate, someone he thought he knew and trusted, until he was blindsided with a piece of paper that said 0.03%.

He hadn't lied, not to his coworkers and friends. He didn't know who his soulmate was, not anymore.

* * *

_May 14, 2009_

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!"

Mark jolted straight out of bed, coming face to face with a manically grinning Dustin who was bouncing on his bed. "Get up! It's your 25th birthday and we finally get to find who your soulmate is!” He made grabby hands toward Mark’s t-shirt, apparently intending to pull it down to see Mark's soulmark, and Mark pushed him away and rolled out of the bed.

"Hands off, Dustin! It's meant to be private."

"Wow, you’re already in a bad mood. Come on Mark, it's your birthday!"

Mark scowled at him. “And I'm under no obligation to be happy about it. Get out Dustin.”

After chasing Dustin out of the room, he took a quick shower in his bathroom, pointedly avoiding looking down at his chest, and quickly changed into his usual attire of t-shirt and jeans. Scrupulously avoiding the mirror, he walked to his kitchen where Dustin was waiting, practically vibrating with energy.

Mark ignored him and just grabbed a can of Red Bull from the fridge before walking out, tuning out Dustin’s pestering. He continued to do so throughout the entire day at work. He had vetoed any birthday celebrations, but he still garnered a few speculative gazes from some who knew it was his 25th birthday, and he knew what they must be thinking, knew that they were wondering who on earth would be his soulmate. He glared at them until they looked away, and then he immersed himself in work.

He left long after everyone had gone, rejecting invitations to go out for drinks and celebration. Finally, after he had done everything he could do and more, he dragged himself back home, exhausted and tired. Then, finally, he took off his t-shirt, and looked down at the new tattoo over his heart.

Even upside-down, he could still read the words easily, and they spelled out exactly the name he had expected it to be.

_Eduardo Saverin_

Soulmarks had been around as long as humans had been, evolving in appearance as language has evolved. For every person, on the occasion of their 25th birthday, a name would appear across their chest, right where their heart laid, and that name would be that of their soulmate, the one person they would spend their lives with.

All over the world there were stories, heartwarming and romantic and sweet in turn, of people meeting their soulmates. Sometimes they talked about the anticipation of meeting your soulmate for the first time, or they talked about how the soulmark was only an affirmation of their love.

Mark knew all these stories.

He had also heard the other stories, of couples who despite the matching set of soulmarks, hadn’t ended up together, the differences between them too insurmountable. There had also been pushback against the soulmarks and the idea of soulmates in recent years, people starting to question the wisdom of choosing your life partner based on an archaic tradition. 

Mark knew which category he slotted into.

Back then, he had taken Eduardo for granted. Eduardo was always there despite Mark’s caustic nature, and he always forgave Mark no matter what Mark did. Mark had never stopped to wonder why. And then Mark had done something so unforgiveable that Eduardo had finally left, and Mark had finally realized that he had gone too far, had pushed Eduardo past his limits. Across the deposition table, Mark had looked at Eduardo and understood the depth of what he had lost, and his soulmark had confirmed it.

Eduardo had known for two years that he and Mark were soulmates. And he had not done anything about it. He had not reached out to Mark, nor had he come for any of the Facebook shareholder meetings.

Contrary to popular belief, Mark did understand social cues, even if he didn't adhere to them most of the time. He knew what this meant.

Soulmark or not, Eduardo wanted nothing to do with Mark. This mark across his chest was not an affirmation of love, or something to look forward to. It was a reminder of all the things Mark was willing to do for Facebook, and the future he sacrificed along the way.

Life would continue on, as always, in its usual fashion with no changes.

There was nothing to be done.

* * *

_Two years later_

There was one thing both of them didn’t consider though, one more inexplicable quirk of the soulmarks. Somehow, no matter what, soulmates would always meet each other, even if they started off at opposite ends of the globe. It was as though the universe itself conspired to throw them together.

Eduardo rarely traveled these days, and only for business. He hardly ever went back to the United States - he never attended the Facebook shareholder meetings, and his relationship with his father had been strained ever since the dilution. But he still spoke to his mother, who constantly pleaded for him to come home for a visit, and so Eduardo had finally caved and booked a flight back for the Thanksgiving weekend.

It turned out to be a terrible time to travel, and he found himself stranded in JFK airport after his transfer flight back to Florida was delayed.

Being back in US soil left Eduardo on high alert, as everything here reminded him of Mark, particularly here in New York where Mark grew up. Eduardo knew it was unlikely Mark was in New York though, since he hated Thanksgiving, had even insisted on staying in Harvard back then over the Thanksgiving break. Eduardo knew Mark was probably still in California right now, but it still didn’t calm his nerves.

He was thinking so much about Mark, that he wasn’t really surprised when he looked up and Mark was right there, disembarking off a plane that had just arrived. Maybe it was someone who looked like Mark, or maybe it was a hallucination brought on by jetlag and exhaustion.

But then Mark looked up and saw him too, and the look in his eyes was unmistakable, as was his voice when he breathed out Eduardo’s name.

* * *

Mark wasn't pining. Nor was he moping.

He certainly never thought of Eduardo.

He didn’t think about why Eduardo never came to California for shareholder meetings, or how his Facebook profile was still the bare-bones page they had set up together in Harvard, or how Eduardo had not logged on to Facebook for years. He didn’t wonder at all the could-have-beens, all their possible pasts and futures if Mark had made a different decision back then. What if Mark hadn't froze Eduardo out? What if Eduardo had remained the CFO? Would they have gotten together before or after the appearance of Eduardo’s soulmark? He didn’t think about whether he would ever see Eduardo again, if there was any hope left for them.

But that would be a lie. Eduardo’s name was now written over his chest, a constant reminder, and so Mark had wondered, and he had hoped. After all, the soulmark was a sign that they were meant to be together right? But as months and years passed with no contact from Eduardo, his mood turned sour and foul, and he started taking it out on his employees. Eventually Chris had enough and booked him a flight back to New York, his family home, and forced him into taking a vacation over the Thanksgiving weekend, to let off some steam.

So Mark found himself landing in JFK airport, among excited holiday travelers who were glad to be home, a sharp contrast to Mark’s gloomy mood. He jammed his hands into his hoodie pockets and walked hurriedly out of the gate once the plane landed, backpack slung over his shoulder, wanting out of the airport as soon as possible.

A soft noise caught his attention though, and he looked up, right into the eyes of Eduardo Saverin.

“Wardo,” he breathed out, and Eduardo jerked, his eyes staring unblinkingly at Mark. “Wardo,” he said again, disbelieving. “What are you doing here?”

Eduardo narrowed his eyes, straightening into a defensive posture. “You don’t own the whole of the United States, Mark, I can go wherever I want.”

They weren’t off to a great start, and it hadn’t even been one minute. “But you are supposed to be in Singapore,” Mark blurted out before he could think better of it. He wasn’t supposed to know where Eduardo was, after all. They weren’t friends.

Eduardo thankfully didn’t comment on Mark’s slip. However, he didn’t say anything else too, he just turned away from Mark, an obvious dismissal. But Mark couldn’t let it go. He stepped closer, feeling the pull in his heart where his soulmark was. He subconsciously reached out his hand, wanting to trace the spot on Eduardo’s chest where his name must be inscribed, and only came back to himself when Eduardo jerked back violently, glaring at Mark.

“What are you doing, Mark.” Eduardo hissed.

“I just…” Words failed Mark, and he shrugged. “I just want to talk to you.”

Eduardo scoffed. “I have nothing to say to you, Mark.”

"That’s not true, we're soulmates, there’s a lot we have to talk about."

“Keep it down,” Eduardo said, while looking around to make sure no one’s paying attention to them. Mark couldn’t care though. This was what he had been hoping for. The universe itself had thrown them back together. This was his second chance and he wasn’t letting it go away.

He opened his mouth, intending to be contrary and say it again in a louder tone, and Eduardo, always so adept at reading him, knew what he was thinking and silenced him with a warning glare. “Fine,” Eduardo said, “my flight is still grounded and will be for a while. We can find some place to talk, even though I don’t know what we’ll possibly say to each other.”

They found a café inside the airport where they both got coffee and sandwiches, and Eduardo led them to the most secluded table, right next to the large windows that looked out into the runways. He set his food and beverage on the table, and glared at Mark across the table. “So talk,” he said.

Mark floundered for a while, not sure where to even start, and Eduardo’s glare turned impatient. “Wardo…” Mark started, and was silenced by a glare from Eduardo. “I mean, Eduardo. I… It wasn’t personal, back then. It was a business decision, you have to know that.”

“You’re seriously starting with that?” Eduardo interrupted angrily. “It felt pretty personal on my end, Mark. You know what, if we’re just going to rehash old arguments, then I have no interest in this conversation.”

He made a move to stand up and Mark hurriedly said, “Wait! Wardo, please wait. Can’t you see, I’m trying to explain?”

Eduardo sat back in his seat, the expression on his face still closed and distrustful, and he made a get-on-with-it gesture with his hand.

“I know it felt personal to you, and maybe it was. But back then, I wasn’t… I didn’t mean for it to be personal. You refused to come out to California – no Eduardo, let me finish – you didn’t join us, you insisted on getting advertisers. Facebook was everything to me, but it wasn’t everything to you. And then you froze the accounts, and Eduardo, I had to act. I had to act in Facebook’s best interest.”

Eduardo gave him a mocking smile. “So you screwed your soulmate over for a website.”

“I didn't know we were soulmates then! If I had known, of course I wouldn’t betray you!” He noticed his voice was getting louder, and tried to modulate the tone, not wanting others to overhear their conversation.

“Our soulmarks doesn't make it alright, Mark.” Eduardo said quietly back. “In fact it made it worse. Think of how it felt like, to be stabbed in the back by someone you thought was your best friend, someone whom you lov...” Eduardo paused for a moment, looking away and trailing off. “Someone whom you trusted. And then you were taught a lesson about betrayal by that best friend. And it so happened that the best friend ended up being your soulmate, the one person you should be able to trust unquestionably in the world.”

“You froze the account first.”

“And so you retaliated by freezing me out of the company we built!"

They glared at each other over the table.

“Can’t we just move past this, Wardo?” Mark finally said. “Just tell me what I have to do to make this better.”

Eduardo shook his head. “There is no making this better, Mark.”

“But we're soulmates,” Mark repeated again.

"It’s no longer a controversial thing, soulmates not ending up together." Eduardo said. He gave Mark a sad smile, and then got up and walked away, leaving Mark behind.

* * *

Back in Singapore, after the huge mess of his trip to the United States, Eduardo tried to get back into the swing of things. He went in to work every weekday and hung out with his friends over the weekends. Life went on as usual, and he tried to forget his conversation with Mark.

This was the end of his and Mark's story.

But of course, Mark wasn't prepared to let it go. And in the next few weeks, Eduardo learnt just how persistent Mark could be, once he set his mind to something.

It started with a question from Meiyi when Eduardo entered the office one morning. “Did you hear the big news?" she asked.

“Hmm?” Eduardo said absent-mindedly as he walked to his desk.

“Facebook’s launching a new initiative on soulmates, they just did a press conference about it.”

Eduardo’s head snapped up when he heard the word Facebook. “What?” he said, suddenly feeling more alert.

“Here, look at this.” She showed him her computer screen, where a familiar blue webpage greeted him. The slogan read – _Facebook: bringing soulmates together_ –  and from a quick skim of the description, the purpose of the newly set-up page was for people to submit their soulmate stories, particularly stories with interesting journeys or those where Facebook played a part, and every day Facebook would pick stories to showcase on the page.

It was utterly crazy and pointless, and not something he would have associated with Mark at all. “Mark, you asshole, what are you doing?” Eduardo whispered in disbelief.

“What did you say?” Meiyi asked.

He remembered Meiyi didn’t know his connection to Facebook. “No, nothing important, I just wondered why they’re doing this, it’s not quite Facebook’s style, right?”

“Well, I won’t say that. They’re pretty much used as the unofficial soulmate finder these days, aren’t they? And it’s even more important these days, what with more and more young people questioning the soulmarks and rejecting their soulmates.” She waved a hand in disdain of those views. “Anyway, I think it’s sweet! Check this story out.” She showed him one of the showcased stories, a heartwarming story of a couple that dated and broke up in college but got back together after their soulmarks appeared and it was each other’s names.

Eduardo snorted, he just couldn’t help it. So this was how Mark was going to play it then? Ignoring Meiyi’s curious glance, he went back to his desk to start the day’s work, firmly resolved to put this whole soulmate business behind him.

* * *

It was impossible to ignore though.

Facebook’s soulmate page (as it came to be called) became all the rage, and it seemed as though everywhere Eduardo went, people were talking about it. Mark even did an interview where he said he hoped these stories would inspire people to still believe in soulmates and Eduardo viewed that video with extreme suspicion.

Every day at work, people would coo over the stories Facebook showcased on the page. One day it was a story of soulmates who only met twenty years after their soulmarks appeared. Another was about how a couple found each other over Facebook, and how one half flew halfway across the world to be with his soulmate. There were also stories of bitter enemies turned soulmates, or soulmates being thrown together again despite going their separate paths, or estranged friends reconnecting after their soulmates led to each other.

It was glaringly obvious why Mark did this.

What Eduardo couldn’t figure out was the complete radio silence on Mark’s part. He knew Mark, shares dilution ambush aside, and he knew Mark wasn’t the sort to let actions speak for themselves. Mark always used words, even if they were in the form of blog posts or caustic remarks.

Finally, after weeks, he caved in and logged on to his old account on Facebook. He wasn’t surprised to see a soulmate request from Mark, nor was he surprised to discover he had received a private message from him.

 _Eduardo,_ the message read. _You said that some don't have to end up together. Here are examples, from people and places all over the world, of soulmates that ended up together, despite the odds._

Eduardo didn’t know how long he stared at the message for, but the window suddenly blinked, and he realized Mark had noticed he was online and was typing him a new message. He hurriedly directed his mouse to close the window, but then hesitated, frozen in indecision, wondering what else Mark would say.

 **_Mark:_ ** _You haven’t logged on in a long time. What do you think about the site’s new design?_

Eduardo raised his eyebrows, and before he knew it, his hands were typing out a response.

 **_Eduardo:_ ** _Small talk, Mark? Really?_

 **_Mark:_ ** _We can talk about us being soulmates and what to do about it if you prefer that._

 **_Eduardo:_ ** _Or we can just not talk._

 **_Mark:_ ** _You’re still replying to me though._

Eduardo rolled his eyes and closed the window. He had forgotten how annoying it can be to talk to Mark.

* * *

Eduardo couldn’t keep himself away though, and within 24 hours he was back on Facebook, curious about what else Mark might have said and hating himself for it.

It turned out to be a lot.

Mark had sent over links to some of the stories that were showcased on the soulmate page, along with commentary on how he thought they were relevant to their situation.

On the couple that broke up in college but got back together – _We didn’t date at Harvard, so there’s less baggage for us._

About the couple where one person flew halfway across the world to be with his soulmate – _I’m not asking you to uproot your entire life for me, I’m merely asking you to come home._

Regarding the story about estranged friends reconnecting – _If they can repair their friendship and become something more, why can’t we?_

It was the most tone-deaf commentary Eduardo had ever read, and yet, Eduardo was reluctantly charmed by it, and he couldn’t resist replying.

 **_Eduardo_** _: I don’t know, I think lawsuits are pretty big baggage. And California was never my home._

Mark replied instantly. _It can be._

* * *

 Another week passed, and the bizarre conversation with Mark continued. One night, feeling combative and itching for a fight, Eduardo typed –

 **_Eduardo_** _: Some people say that the soulmarks don’t actually point to your soulmates. They’re just random names, and it’s us who had made them into something more._

Mark was online, despite it being early morning in California, and he quickly replied.

 **_Mark_** _: You know better than to believe that dumb argument, Wardo._

 **_Eduardo_** _: Still, it’s pretty dumb, isn’t it? To believe that someone is your life partner just because their name is on your chest, without any knowledge of their personality or habits or dreams._

 **_Mark_** _: You would never have said this when we were younger._

 **_Eduardo_** _: Things change. You know why._

Mark didn’t reply to that, and Eduardo scored that as a win. The victory rang hollow though.

* * *

One night, after drinking some wine and feeling maudlin, Eduardo said –

 **_Eduardo_** _: you didnt bothers to fix things unti you found out i was your soulmate_

Mark offered a swift rebuttal.

 **_Mark_** _: It’s not that I didn’t bother fixing it, it’s that I didn’t dare hope that our friendship could be fixed._

 **_Eduardo_** _: still you never thought of me in a romantic way until yor soulmark appeared.i was in love with you at harvardm you know._

A distant, more sober part of him realized he might have revealed too much, but it was too late. The words were already on the screen.

 **_Mark_** _: No I didn’t, not at Harvard. But during the depositions, I saw first-hand what I did to you, and that was when I knew._

 **_Eduardo_** _: that i was in love with you?/_

 **_Mark_** _: No. I knew then that I was in love with you._

Eduardo didn’t know what to say to that.

* * *

Finally, Eduardo had said -

 **_Eduardo_** _: I don’t think I can ever forgive you for what you did to me._

Mark was online, but he didn’t reply for the longest time and Eduardo thought Mark must have fallen asleep in front of his computer. He was about to close the window when a new message popped up.

 **_Mark_** _: I was a different person, then. Younger and more ruthless. You don’t have to forgive that kid if you don’t want to. But don’t continue to blame me for the mistakes of the past._

 **_Eduardo_** _: How do I know you won’t do it again?_

 **_Mark_** _: I’ve learned my lessons too_ _. Take a leap of faith, Wardo, and trust me._

* * *

It was Friday night, and as usual Eduardo was out with his coworkers for Friday night drinks. He wasn’t feeling up to socializing tonight though, so he sat at the bar with a glass of beer, his mind kept going back to his last conversation with Mark. 

After a while, Yongwei joined him at the bar. “You’re awfully quiet tonight.”

Eduardo straightened from his slouch, turning to face Yongwei and dredging up a smile. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

Yongwei was about to reply him, but then his eyes caught on someone behind Eduardo and Yongwei’s face lit up in a huge smile. Eduardo knew without turning that it must be Sarah, Yongwei’s soulmate and wife, who worked in a different company but still joined them during Friday nights every now and then.

The couple exchanged greetings and kisses, before Sarah was drawn into a conversation with Meiyi, leaving Eduardo alone with Yongwei again.

“The two of you look so happy together,” Eduardo said.

“Of course we’re happy together, we’re soulmates,” Yongwei replied, the expression on his face still besotted.

“But… how…,” Eduardo trailed off. “You didn’t even know her before. How could you be so sure?”

Yongwei turned to study him, and understanding dawned on his face. “You’ve met your soulmate then?”

Eduardo laughed bitterly. “I’ve always known who he is.”

“That Facebook guy?”

Eduardo jerked so violently, he almost fell off his chair. “Wait, what?!” he exclaimed in surprise.

Yongwei smiled at him reassuringly. “It’s alright, Eduardo. I know that you’re one of the co-founders of Facebook.”

Eduardo just continued to sputter.

“Hey, I read the news. Some of the others probably know as well, we just didn’t want to mention what’s obviously a sore topic for you.” Eduardo was still trying to slot this new information into place when Yongwei continued, “So, it _is_ the Facebook guy then? Mark Zucksomething?”

“Zuckerberg. And I… Um… Yeah, it’s him. What gave it away?”

“Figured his would be the only name that would make you look so dismayed.”

Maybe it was Yongwei’s reassuring smile or his easy-going personality, or maybe Eduardo had been bursting to confide in someone about Mark for weeks now, but he found himself spilling everything out to Yongwei – his Harvard years with Mark, meeting him again at the airport, their recent conversations over Facebook chat.

“I just don’t know how to trust him anymore. Yes he’s my soulmate, but I… I thought my soulmate was supposed to be the one person I can trust unreservedly, and he turned out to be the person who hurt me the most instead.”

Yongwei had kept mostly silent through Eduardo’s rant, but now he said, “The soulmarks don’t represent the conclusion of a love story, you know. It’s just the beginning. It still takes work to build a relationship. Did you think Sarah and I fell in love with each other right at first sight?”

“You didn’t?”

Yongwei laughed ruefully. “She hated me. She grew tired of waiting for me to show up, and was in a relationship with someone else when we first met. Her partner left her after I came into the picture, and she blamed me for a long time about it, while I was hurt that she didn’t wait for me.”

“I couldn’t tell that the two of you had such a rocky beginning. The two of you are so loving now.”

Yongwei gripped Eduardo’s shoulder and squeezed. “It took time and a lot of hard work, but in the end, it’s worth it, Eduardo. Don’t run away because you’re scared.”

* * *

Back home, Eduardo kept thinking about what Yongwei said. He scrolled through his message log with Mark, already ridiculously long even though they had only been talking for barely a month. He admitted to himself that the Mark in those conversations were very different from the Mark he knew in Harvard. This Mark was more open, more willing to share bits of himself and listen in return, more vulnerable.

He and Mark had already started rebuilding their relationship from the ashes of the past.

Could Eduardo take that final leap of faith?

The window indicated a new message, and Eduardo scrolled back to the end of their chatlog, where Mark had said something new.

 **_Mark_ ** _: Dustin just found his soulmate. Or rather, his soulmate found him. That person hacked into his Facebook account and left a public message challenging Dustin to come find them. He’s currently hacking up a storm to find “the yin to his yang, the salt to his fries”, as he put it. I’m not sure whether to be pissed at Facebook being used as a courtship tool, or impressed that his soulmate managed to hack us._

Eduardo looked at this perfectly innocuous message, written with Mark’s typical wry humor, and laughed to himself while replying.

_**Eduardo** : You're one to talk. Or did you forget how you used Facebook to get my attention?_

Yes, he could make the leap.

* * *

At Singapore’s Changi airport, he booted up his laptop, making use of the free public wi-fi to access Facebook. He accepted Mark’s soulmate request, grinning as he did so, and emailed him a copy of his flight itinerary. _You better be at the airport this time_ , he typed in the subject line.

He shut off his laptop and prepared to board the plane.

Eduardo was finally going home.

* * *

 


End file.
